How Playboy founder Hugh Hefner died

THE official death certificate for Hugh Hefner has been released, revealing exactly how the Playboy founder died.

According to Page Six, Hefner, 91, died of cardiac arrest and respiratory failure, but had also been battling E. coli and septicaemia (blood poisoning) for six days prior to his passing in late September.

In the certificate, the doctor explains that Hef's infection was "highly resistant to antibiotics."

He passed away in his famed mansion in Los Angeles, which will undergo massive renovations under its new owner, Daren Metropoulos.

Earlier this week, his wife Crystal broke her silence on her late husband's death, explaining that she was "heartbroken".

"I am still in disbelief," she told People. "He gave me life. He gave me direction. He taught me kindness. I will feel eternally grateful to have been by his side, holding his hand, and telling him how much I love him. He changed my life, he saved my life. He made me feel loved every single day."

This story originally appeared in the NY Post and is republished here with permission.